LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Rotary Club of Lakeport has announced an exciting lineup of speakers for its October meetings.

This esteemed group of presenters will cover a wide range of topics, providing valuable insights and information to the community.

The Rotary Club of Lakeport invites members, guests, and the public to join these engaging discussions, all held at O'Meara Brothers Brewery, 901 Bevins St., Lakeport, at noon on the first, second and third Wednesdays of the month.

Oct. 11: Katie Karns, Local Food Bank and Volunteering Report. Join the Rotary on Oct. 11 as they welcome Karns, who will deliver a comprehensive report on the local food bank and volunteering opportunities in Lakeport. Karns will shed light on the critical role of the food bank in addressing food insecurity in our community and share inspiring stories of volunteering experiences. Discover how you can make a difference right here in Lakeport.

Oct. 18: Tim Stephens, Sutter Lakeside Hospital CEO update. On Oct. 18, the Roary will welcome Stephens, who will provide an insightful update on the latest developments and initiatives at Sutter Lakeside Hospital. Learn about the hospital's commitment to healthcare excellence and its vital role in ensuring the well-being of our community.

The Rotary Club of Lakeport encourages all interested individuals to attend these informative sessions.

These presentations align with the club's dedication to community service, education, and fostering connections to create positive change.

The Rotary Club of Lakeport is a dynamic organization committed to making a difference in the Lakeport community and beyond.

Through a network of passionate volunteers, the club initiates projects that address pressing issues, supports local causes and promotes fellowship among members.

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that allows the continuation of an important fundraising tool for nonprofits — 50-50 raffles at major league sports stadiums.

“Over the years, these raffles have raised millions for a diverse group of charitable organizations throughout the state,” Sen. Dodd said. “They provide an important funding tool for a host of organizations benefiting youth and the underserved. With the governor’s signature on this new law, we can ensure that continues.”

In California, a key fundraiser for nonprofits has been the 50-50 raffle, in which 50% of the proceeds go to a winner and 50% go back to the hosting organization. Since the creation of 50-50 raffles, the San Francisco Giants Community Fund, for example, has been able to serve over 150,000 youths with 30,000 kids benefiting annually.

However, the law allowing these raffles is about to expire.

Senate Bill 650 removes the Jan. 1, 2024 sunset so professional sports teams and sports organizations can continue to provide millions of dollars in charitable funding to worthy philanthropic organizations.

SB 650 is supported by numerous organizations, including professional sports teams such as the San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors. It received overwhelming support in the Legislature before it was signed by the governor on Saturday.

“The 50 50 raffle has allowed us to expand the reach of our program,” Amy Tovar, general counsel for the Giants, testified at a recent Senate committee hearing. “This has been a complete game-changer for the Giants community.”

Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Sacramento counties. You can learn more about the district and Senator Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — Sponsoring Survivorship will hold its run walk benefit event on Saturday, Oct. 7.

The run and walk starts at the Silveira Community Center in the 500 block of N. Main St. and travels north on Main Street to North High Street to the Elks Lodge at 3775 Lakeshore Blvd. before returning to the starting point.

There will be walkers and runners along the roadways.

Please drive with caution in the area. Emergency vehicles will be patrolling the route for safety.

Officials urge the community to ome out and support the event.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The city of Lakeport has released its fall 2023 weekly street sweeping schedule.

The schedule began on Oct. 2 and affects areas inside the Lakeport city limit boundaries.

Streets will be swept as follows.

MONDAYS: Clear Lake Avenue to north city limit boundary.

TUESDAYS: First Street to south city limit boundary including the Esplanade neighborhood, Lupoyoma Heights, Lakeport Boulevard and Parallel Drive.

WEDNESDAYS: Second Street to Clear Lake Avenue.

THURSDAYS: Main Street and downtown areas. Additional streets as needed and any streets that were missed earlier in the week.

FRIDAYS: Streets that were missed plus any areas needing special attention. There is no street sweeping every other Friday.

Reminders:

• Blowing leaves into the street is acceptable, but do not put them in piles as the street sweeper cannot sweep up piles of leaves. The city encourages residents to utilize their weekly green waste service.

• The street sweeper will not operate on Oct. 9, Nov. 9, Nov. 22 to 24, or Dec. 22, 2023, through Jan. 1, 2024.

• The city of Lakeport street sweeping schedule will remain in effect for the fall season only. The city’s sweeper also operates on an “as needed” basis at other times to maintain city streets when leaves and debris accumulate.

Please be advised that there may be minor interruptions to the schedule due to workloads and staff availability.

Please contact the Public Works office at 707-263-3578 or pwinfo@cityoflakeport.com with questions.

NORTH COAST, Calif.— For the second time this year, more than five million Pacific Gas and Electric Company customers will automatically receive the California Climate Credit on their energy bill.

The California Climate Credit is part of California’s efforts to combat climate change and distributed by PG&E to customers.

This credit is from the California Cap-and-Trade Program, which requires power plants, fuel providers, and large industrial facilities that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution allowances.

The credit on your bill is designed to help utility customers during the transition to a low-carbon future.

Residential electric households will receive a credit of $38.39 on their October bills, the same amount provided during March. Residential natural gas households also received a credit of $52.78 earlier this year. Combined-use customers’ total bill credits for 2023 is $129.56.

Residential households receive the electric credit two times each year, while the natural gas credit is issued once a year. Eligible small business customers receive the same electric credit, in the same amount as residential customers, twice a year.

For more information about additional programs that are funded by the California Cap-and-Trade Program to reduce carbon pollution, improve public health and the environment, and provide meaningful benefits to the most disadvantaged communities, visit www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/.

PG&E financial assistance programs

In addition to the California Climate Credit, customers are encouraged to explore other ways to save energy and money including financial assistance and other programs:

California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program: Provides a discount of 20% or more each month on gas and electricity bills.

Family Electric Rate Assistance Program (FERA): Offers a monthly discount of 18% on electricity bills for households with 3+ people.

Medical Baseline: For eligible residential customers who have additional energy needs due to certain qualifying medical conditions. Customers can get an additional monthly allotment of power, or a discount based on your rate.

Budget Billing: Averages out energy costs for more predictable monthly payments and eliminates big spikes in bills due to seasonal changes.

Bill Forecast Alerts: Notifications sent by email, text or phone notifying the customer if their monthly bill is expected to exceed a specific amount set by the customer.
About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

SACRAMENTO — State Controller Malia M. Cohen on Monday announced that applications for property tax deferment are now being processed.

California’s Property Tax Postponement, or PTP, Program, administered by Controller Cohen, allows homeowners who are seniors — or who are blind or have a disability — and who meet income, equity, and other requirements to postpone payment of property taxes on their primary residence.

In the 2022-23 tax year, California homeowners were able to postpone over $5.6 million in residential property taxes.

Over the last few years, eligibility for tax deferment has been expanded several times by the addition of manufactured homes and adjustments to the income limit.

This year, the household income limit has been raised to $51,762, making PTP available to even more seniors and Californians with disabilities.

Household income for the upcoming PTP cycle will be based on the 2022 calendar year.

Funding for PTP is limited, and applications will be processed beginning Oct. 2 in the order they are received. The final filing deadline for the current tax year is Feb. 12, 2024.

Participants must reapply each year and demonstrate they continue to meet eligibility requirements.

A lien will be placed on the real property, or a security agreement filed with the Department of Housing and Community Development for a manufactured home, until the account is paid in full.

Applications and additional program details can be found online or by calling 800-952-5661.

Californians affected by natural disasters such as fires, floods, and earthquakes may be eligible for another tax relief program that allows for reappraisal of damaged or destroyed property.

For additional information on this program, visit the California Board of Equalization’s disaster relief website.